Saturday, October 31, 2009

Two murders are committed in such a fashion that the murderer must not only have been invisible but lighter than air!__According to the evidence, this person killed his first victim and literally vanished, and then struck again in the middle of an empty street - with watchers at either end who saw nothing and no footprints in the snow.__It was a problem that Dr. Gideon Fell - huge, rumpled, with flowing cloak, eyeglasses and cane - regarded as one of devilish illusion and impersonation.

A classic locked-room murder mystery, named by Edward D. Hoch as his favourite impossible crime novel. Carr was one of the masters of this kind of novel, wherein the murder appears to have been performed by some supernatural means until the detective finally unravels the solution. This particular novel is famous as its detective, Gideon Fell, offers a lengthy lecture on the general mechanics and development of the "hermetically sealed chamber" in which Carr knowingly has Dr Fell admit: "We're in a detective story, and we won't fool the reader by pretending we're not."

Dark Journey by Sydney Horler (Hodder & Stoughton C129, 1953)

An invitation to the country home of Baron Arnheim Wulfran, ambassador of a hostile foreign power, was the beginning of a dark journey for Ruth. Hoping to wrest from the infatuated Baron the secret of the whereabouts of Dallas Kerr of the Secret Service, she was plunged into an adventure fraught with terror.

Horler is almost forgotten nowadays, although he was hugely popular in his time. A workmanlike writer, he was the creator of Tiger Standish and various other series characters.

I mentioned recently that Brewer deserved a little investigation over his year of birth. The results are in and I'm in favour of 1922... in fact I can reveal that his full name was Gilbert John Brewer and he was born on 20 November 1922 in Canandaigua, New York. He was the son of Gilbert T. Brewer, a New Jersey-born pulp writer, and his wife, Ruth, and his year of birth can be firmly established thanks to the 1930 census which lists his age quite precisely as 7 years 4 months. (If anyone wants to check this, Brewer is erroneously listed as Brener at Ancestry.com.) The census was taken on 15 April 1930, which means he was born between 16 November and 15 December 1922. (And, I should add, that 1922 is the year of birth his widow gives in an essay on her husband's life.)

His name is given in Florida death records as Gilbert J. Brewer—which also correctly identify both his date of birth and date of death (9 January 1983). His middle name, John, is revealed by US enlistment records: he enlisted in the army on 8 March 1943 in Rochester, New York. At that time he was living in Ontario, New York.

His father, Gilbert T. Brewer, I believe was born 12 May 1898 and died 19 July 1967, at Saint Petersburg, Pinellas Co., Florida, as did his son some 15 years later. Again, the Social Security Death Index seems to be in error—it lists his birth as 1897 and his death as occurring on 14 July. However, according to the U.S. Veterans Gravesites register, the former dates apply and he was buried at Stones River National Battlefield, in Tennessee. 1898 for his year of birth ties in with his age (31) on the 1930 census.

Gilbert T. wrote primarily for air war pulps War Stories, Sky Riders, Airplane Stories, Zeppelin Stories, Frontier Stories, Thrilling Stories, Air stories, Battle Stories and Dare-Devil Aces in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The birth of a younger sister to Gilbert in 1927 was, perhaps, the inspiration, and two more siblings followed (another sister and a brother). They had a fairly impoverished upbringing, their father addicted to drink and was later committed to a VA hospital after a mental breakdown.

Brewer spent three years at high school before dropping out to work. He was wounded in action whilst serving with the army in Belgium and France, which meant he received a VA disability pension. His family had moved to Florida and Brewer went through the usual variety of jobs—warehouseman, cannery worker, bookseller, gas-station attendant—associated with those learning their trade as a writer. With money an issue, Brewer's mother insisted he get a proper job. When he refused she ordered him to leave.

Brewer found a boarding house where the other residents would help feed him; he was already a heavy drinker but was also young, handsome and dynamic. He was involved in an affair with a married woman, Verlaine Morris Lee, who subsequently divorced her husband. The two married in South Carolina, telling no-one.

Back in St. Petersburg, Florida, he sold tales to Detective Tales and Detective Fiction before trying his hand with a novel, written in a white heat and completed in five days. He wrote a second almost as quickly and this was placed with Gold Medal (Fawcett Publications) who had then recently launched a line of original paperbacks and were seeking the best writers from the pulps, both established writers and new. Satan Is A Woman was published in 1951, followed quickly by So Rich, So Dead—Brewer's five-day novel—and 13 French Street, which was his first million seller.

Brewer's career was off to a good start. He was represented by Capt. Joe Shaw, the one-time editor of Black Mask, and had a publisher eager for his work. When Shaw died suddenly in 1952, Brewer was represented by Scott Meredith Agency. None of his early novels took longer than two weeks to write and film rights were sold to four of them. In between, Brewer wrote for crime pulps Manhunt, Accused, Trapped, Murder, Pursued, Guilty and Mystery Tales, amongst others. In the mid-1950s he also adopted the pen-names Bailey Morgan and Eric Fitzgerald to keep up with his output. Unfortunately, it was not to last.

As the 1950s progressed, Brewer's career began to unravel. His friends were fellow writers—Day Keene, Harry Whittington, Talmage Powell, Jonathan Craig, Robert Turner and others—who would drink and play cards. Brewer coasted between books, spending money recklessly. He wrote only when the money had almost run out, driving himself mercilessly, drinking black coffee and smoking heavily to keep himself alert. One novel took only three days to write, another five days. When finished he would collapse from nervous exhaustion, using pills and drink to help him sleep.

In the late 1950s, he and Verlaine moved to Colorado and then New Mexico, but alcohol was taking its toll. Around 1962 he had a mental breakdown, which resulted in hospitalisation in Arcadia, Florida. Brewer recovered slowly and began to pick up the reins of writing again, a handful of crime thrillers and three novelisations based on the TV series It Takes A Thief under his own name, a novel ghosted under the name Ellery Queen and another published under the name of Hal Ellson, who was more saleable at that time.

These were not easy years. The market had changed considerably and Brewer was not in touch with it. He slid back into alcoholism. In 1970 he totalled his Porsche, breaking eight ribs, fracturing 28 other bones and tearing in lung. Faced with another long climb back to full recovery, Brewer used alcohol and pills to kill the pain so that he could keep writing. He wrote pornography and stories for adult magazines; he wrote Gothic romances as Elaine Evans, ghosted two novels as Al Conroy for Marvin Albert's Soldato series and five novels for a former Israeli soldier, Harry Arvay.

Sales began to become fewer. Alcohol dominated his life and he split from his wife, although she continued to live in the same apartment and she continued to support him. He voluntarily attended AA meetings but always slid back to the bottle. He sold to Hustler and other men's magazines, but none of the book projects he worked on came to anything. He was hospitalised again on a number of occasions, his recovery always complicated by drink. In 1982, he was dropped by the Scott Meredith Agency. He died on Sunday, 9 January 1983, at his apartment at 3301 58th Avenue South.

(* Much of the above biographical information is derived from two essays, one by Verlaine Brewer and one by Bill Pronzini; and Lynn Munroe's List 29 is the prime source for bibliographical information. The photograph is from the official Gil Brewer website.)

Friday, October 30, 2009

With nothing much to report, apart from a case of the sniffles, I thought I'd run a bit a news about upcoming releases ahead of our regular Recently Published and Upcoming Releases columns, which will be appearing Sunday and Monday respectively. I try not to overcrowd those lists with illustrations as I used to, but there are sometimes quite a few images for interesting books available long in advance. So here's a brief round-up of a few of the titles that are being added to the list this month...

DFC Library

From David Fickling Books come the first three titles reprinting material from The DFC comic. Titles are: Good Dog, Bad Dog by Dave Shelton, Mezolith by Beg Haggarty & Adam Brockbank and Spider Moon by Kate Brown.

I hear from Tony Ingram that the new issue is out today. "We've interviews with Pat Mills (talking at length about his time at IPC amongst other things), Leah Moore & John Reppion (on Albion) and Cheeky artist Frank McDiarmid, Lee O'Conner on his new project with Pat (Stars: the Ayatollah's Son) and the first part of a two-parter on Doctor Who in comics," says Tony. "Since the distributors asked for an extra 300 copoies on the print run this time, I'm quite hopeful for it..."

Thursday, October 29, 2009

The closest I've come to reading Shakespeare's The Tempest and Romeo and Juliet is watching movies and, in both cases, quite divergent interpretations of the plays. Baz Luhrmann's version of Romeo+Juliet is hugely watchable and The Tempest was used as the basis for Fifties SF classic Forbidden Planet.

With credentials like that, who wouldn't want to read these two new adaptations? You may find the stories a little different—there are less robots in The Tempest for starters—but don't let that put you off. Being Classical Comics, there are multiple versions for all tastes: the Original Text version for the full Shakespearean experience, a Quick Text version easy enough for a young teenager to understand and a Plain Text version which simplifies the language to a level where it could be read by a 10 to 12-year-old.

Both books are long, careful adaptations, around 125 and 150 pages respectively, with reading and background notes in addition.

I picked on the Plain Text versions to read and they certainly retain all the flavour of the originals, whilst moving the story along at a sprightly pace. And I have to admit finding it quite entertaining to see Shakespeare using phrases like "This big-mouthed scumbag" (rather than "wide-chopp'd rascal") as a ship carrying the King of Naples is battered upon a storm-tossed sea, and Juliet's lament "I have bought the mansion of love, but not possesse'd it" reduced to "I can't wait for us to be together". But that's the whole point of having versions for different age groups.

Romeo and Juliet was Shakespeare's adaptation of Luigi da Porto's Giulietta e Romeo (itself not an original story but introducing many of the elements that Shakespeare was to make famous). Shakespeare's was not even the first version of the story written in the UK (Arthur Brooke's Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet was probably Shakespeare's direct inspiration). The plot shouldn't need repeating here: it's the one with the balcony.

The Tempest, on the other hand, was Shakespeare unleashed. It was his one and only play not based on anything previously written and was a story of magic and vengeance in which the usurped Prospero uses his powers to unleash a storm against his brother, Antonio, the Duke of Milan, and the King of Naples, driving their ship onto an island where Prospero has been stranded for many years. Other inhabitants of the island include Ariel, a magical spirit, and the deformed son of a witch, Caliban. There are a number of entwining sub-plots as different factions scheme to kill one or other of the newly arrived inhabitants and a romance between Prospero's daughter, Miranda, and the King's son, Ferdinand.

Both stories are told in eye-grabbing visuals, the artwork exemplary in both books—if you're buying for the art alone, far more is visible in the plain text versions. One distinct advantage of the graphic novel over even a simplified written version of a play as complex as The Tempest, with multiple strands and different kinds of character (both human and supernatural) is that comics also have a visual language that can be brought into play. Take, for instance, the following page showing how Ariel was freed from captivity...

...which has the visual dynamism of a Marvel or DC superhero comic, care of artists Jon Haward & Gary Erskine. Just the kind of thing that will keep even the most ADDed kid glued to the page.

Romeo and Juliet, being a romantic story with very little action, requires a more realistic approach if you are to believe in the characters and this has been amply provided by Will Volley. This is only his second comic strip, I believe (the only previous work I know of is an issue of The Atheist, written by Phil Hester), and he's a major find for Classical Comics.

I've reviewed a handful of earlier titles from Classical Comics and I haven't been disappointed by a single one of them. The Tempest and Romeo and Juliet are two more solid additions to the line and highly recommended.

Romeo and Juliet (Original Text). Classical Comics ISBN 978-1906332198, 9 September 2009 [originally announced for August 2009].Romeo and Juliet (Plain Text). Classical Comics ISBN 978-1906332204, 9 September 2009 [originally announced for August 2009].Romeo and Juliet (Quick Text). Classical Comics ISBN 978-1906332211, 9 September 2009 [originally announced for August 2009].The Tempest (Original Text). Classical Comics ISBN 978-1906332297, 16 September 2009 [originally announced for 1 May 2009, then 12 June 2009, then August 2009].The Tempest (Plain Text). Classical Comics ISBN 978-1906332303, 16 September 2009 [originally announced for 1 May 2009, then 12 June 2009, then August 2009].The Tempest (Quick Text). Classical Comics ISBN 978-1906332310, 16 September 2009 [originally announced for 1 May 2009, then 12 June 2009, then August 2009].

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

(* Reposted as I've been able to expand on the original piece. My thanks to Jeremy Briggs and Roger Robinson for additional info.)

Whopper Space Stories has always been something of a mystery. I had a copy for years and guessed it was from around the late 1950s. The mystery began when I learned that there was an entirely different book also called Whopper Space Stories, then that the same stories had appeared in various other volumes. Now, thanks to Jeremy Briggs, I think I've got a handle on the order of events.

The stories first appeared in a volume called Space Story Omnibus, pictured above, which can be firmly dated (via The Bookseller) as appearing in July 1955. The book was published by The Children's Press (an imprint of Collins) and the full contents follow, although I'm not quite sure of the correct order.

I believe that a couple of years later the same stories and features were split into two volumes, both with the title Whopper Space Stories. There appears to be one original story, entitled "The Man in the Moon", added to the pair of volumes. Confusing matters even more, the first of these (with the T. E. North painting of a winged rocket approaching a space station) was also published in hardback with an additional frontispiece signed S.D.—almost certainly Serge Drigin.

We then come to another version of Space Story Omnibus, published in either 1960 or 1961. I've seen a copy advertised which was inscribed 1961, but some library records date the book 1960. This volume included a 4-page strip by Chas. Ian Kennedy, reprinted from a 1950s volume of Collins Boys' Annual.

There is also the Bumper Cowboy Book, published by Collins in hardback (with d/j) in 1956. The frontispiece was signed by Wynne (possibly Dudley Wynne?) and had uncredited illustrations by Ron Embleton, Nat Brand, Geoffrey Whittam and others. One interesting thing about this album is that some of the stories are by genuine American Western authors (Jeff Jefferis, Frank C. Robertson and possibly Ray Harris); Skeena Fraser may also be a reprint by a pseudonymous Canadian author as Skeena and Fraser are two rivers near Prince Rupert in British Columbia.

The main writer behind both Space Story Omnibus and Bumper Cowboy Book was Edward Boyd, a Scottish author, poet and playwrite who contributed heavily to Collins and their children's annuals in the 1950s.

Born in Stevenston, Ayrshire, in 1916, Boyd was a member of Glasgow Unity Theatre in the 1940s and worked with them as a stage manager, actor and director. He wrote a number of children's books before earning success writing plays for radio and television. He wrote mostly in the crime and thriller field, including many episodes for early Z-Cars as well as creating various series, including Crime on Our Hands, The Corridor People and the popular The View from Daniel Pike which starred Roddy MacMillan.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

In this exciting novel F. Van Wyck Mason has drawn action galore against the essentially dramatic background of the old wartime liners maintained in reserve transports off Maryland__The story deals with the efforts of the various powers to gain possession of a secret, world-shaking in its importance.

How should one greet six beautiful girls when one is dressed in nothing but soap-suds and a plastic moustache-cover? This is but one of the problems facing Gerald Folly when he tumbles off a five-bar gate into the panting bosom of the Twig family at Baron's Dingle. And some grimmer ones arise when he interrupts his bicycle tour to promote Lily Twig in the Dingle Queen election. Why is the sinister guest at The Cuckoo's Nest, Max Crome, so eager to paint Lily in the nude? What of that exquisite beast of prey, Clare Ronsard, who keeps a flick-knife and an automatic pistol in her bedside drawer?__A saucy, hilarious book in which Mr. Anderson fully lives up to his reputation as the new Wodehouse.

Oliver Anderson earned something of a reputation early in his career when his first novel, Rotton Borough, was withdrawn from sale after only three weeks in a storm of libel writs. Written in 1937 under the pen-name Julian Pine, the novel was reprinted under Anderson's own name in 1989 when it was realised that the novel had a connection with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

The lead character was set in Thatcher's birth-town of Grantham and its lead character was a local grocer and town councillor, identified in hindsight by many as Thatcher's father, Alderman Alfred Roberts. Anderson denied that his novel's character, Councillor Nurture, was based on anyone. Alderman Roberts did not follow the lead of Lord Brownlow and a number of other local dignitaries, who threatened action if the book was not withdrawn.

Anderson (1912-1996), gave up writing for some years, served in the Royal Artillery during the war, and only returned to writing in the 1950s, producing a number of comic novels over the next two decades.

13 French Street—Alex knew that something was terribly wrong with his old army buddy, but not until he visited 13 French Street and met Alex's mesmerizingly beautiful wife did he realise the extent of the danger—and by then it was too late.The Red Scarf—Hitching a ride back to Florida, Ray Nichols suddenly found himself landed with a stop-at-nothing woman and a briefcase full of stolen gangland money. "The best Gil Brewer ... a full-packed story" Anthony Boucher.

Brewer was a master of the hard-boiled yarn, publishing his first novel, Satan Is A Woman, with Gold Medal in 1951. 13 French Street, his third novel, was his first million-seller. I notice the biographical sketch in the book says that Brewer was born in 1922, but official records give his date of birth variously as 20 November 1921 or 20 November 1922. His enlistment records give his full name as Gilbert John Brewer and his year of birth as 1922. I think this could do with some investigation.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

(* Version 3.0. I've added a ton of scans and, hopefully, the following listings are starting to look a little more complete. Parts 2 and 3 follow immediately. Originally posted 13 September and reposted 2 October. Note how I blithely claimed not to be making any attempt to be complete in the original introduction. Thanks to a number of people sending scans and notes on additional titles, I'm beginning to think that a complete list might actually be possible...)

The origins of this listing date back to the Comic Book Price Guide in the 1990s (remember that?). There was always a problem with such lists as they inevitably included oddities like the annuals associated with D. C. Thomson's story papers—highly collectable but not a comic strip in sight. Amongst the things I started to resolve this problem was a listing of British editions of books relating to comic strip characters (British because I compiled the British section of the Guide).

Now, over the years I've jotted down notes on some additional books that didn't have British editions as an aide-memoire to myself, so what follows is a bit of a mish-mash; it is as complete as I can get it for British editions but includes a lot of strays in areas where I've made no attempt to be complete. It's also quite probably out of date in some areas.

But, as I often say on this blog, I hate to see work go to waste, so I'm updating as best I can. And, despite promising myself that I wouldn't do it, I've sought out as many additional images (those books that I haven't got myself) as I can, so I'm as complete as possible on British editions; in this episode, for instance, I've nabbed quite a few BatmanWorld Adventure Library covers from Atomic Avenue and various others from Amazon's and Waterstones' websites. And then I grabbed some US editions of books that didn't have UK editions.

If this all sounds a bit random, you're not wrong. But hopefully you'll enjoy the results. Took me bloody ages.

THE A.B.C. WARRIORS

Original Novels

The Medusa War by Pat Mills & Alan Mitchell. Nottingham, Black Library, Apr 2004.Rage Against the Machines by Mike Wild. Nottingham, Black Library, Jul 2005. Note: Pat Mills & Steve Earles were announced as the authors of this novel, but Mills dropped out and the novel was written by Mike Wild. The alternative cover crediting Mills/Earles was not used.

THE ADDAMS FAMILY

Original Novel

The Addams Family by Jack Sharkey. Pyramid R-1229, 1965.

Movie Novelisations

The Addams Family by Elizabeth Faucher, based on the screenplay by Caroline Thompson & Larry Wilson. New York, Scholastic, 1991; London, Penguin Fantail, 1991.Addams Family Values by Todd Strasser, based on the screenplay by Paul Rudnick. New York & London, Pocket Books, 1993.

ALIENS

Note: The 1979 film Alien created a franchise that has seen numerous movie sequels and an extensive range of comic strip spin-offs. A number of Dark Horse mini-series’ were novelised, hence their inclusion here. The first title, a highly illustrated novella by comic strip artist Steve Bissette, was serialised in the British Aliens comic.

Batman (World Adventure Library) [NOTE: I've seen it reported that there were 14 titles in all, but I've never come across copies of a number beyond issue 11]__1 The Ringer. Manchester, World Distributors, Nov 1966.__2 The Last Laugh. Manchester, World Distributors, Nov 1966.__3 Dr No-Face. Manchester, World Distributors, Dec 1966.__4 Penguin Gets the Bird!. Manchester, World Distributors, Dec 1966.__5 The Joker Goes Nap!. Manchester, World Distributors, Jan 1967.__6 A Rocker for the Riddler. Manchester, World Distributors, Jan 1967.__7 The Bookworm’s Best Seller. Manchester, World Distributors, Feb 1967.__8 Pile-Up For the Catwoman. Manchester, World Distributors, Feb 1967.__9 No Quack For the Penguin. Manchester, World Distributors, Mar 1967.__10 Egghead Gets the Yoke. Manchester, World Distributors, Apr 1967.__11 The Archer Aims High. Manchester, World Distributors, May 1967.

Mask of the Phantasm by Geary Gravel, based on a screenplay by Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Martin Pasko and Michael Reeves. New York, Bantam Spectra, Jan 1994; London, Boxtree, May 1994.Mask of the Phantasm (junior novelisation) by Andy Helfer, based on an original story by Alan Burnett. New York, Bantam, 1994; London, Boxtree, 1994.

Original Novels

Shadows of the Past by Geary Gravel. New York, Bantam Spectra, Nov 1993; London, Boxtree, May 1994.Dual to the Death by Geary Gravel. New York, Bantam Spectra, Feb 1994; London, Boxtree, May 1994.The Dragon and the Bat by Geary Gravel. New York, Bantam Spectra, Jun 1994; London, Boxtree, May 1994.

Junior Novels

The Joker’s Apprentice by Chuck Dixon, illustrated by John Calmette. New York, Little Brown, 1996.

BEAR ALLEY BOOKS

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Lion King of Picture Story PapersClick here to order"It's a great read in itself and has sent me back to the Lion comic to re-read some of my childhood favourites. The pictures are reproduced crystal clearly and even this old man can read the original art ... It's a gorgeous book and if we are snow-bound as the media has been saying for weeks, I have plenty to keep me amused this chilly January weekend!" - Norman Boyd.

Sexton Blake Annual 1941Click here to order"If you've been meaning to give Sexton Blake's adventures a try, this would be a great place to start. I've seen the actual annuals go on Ebay for three or four hundred bucks, so this is definitely a bargain too." - Singular Points.

Peter Jackson's London Is Stranger Than FictionClick here to order"The original books have been highly collectable for many years now, but finally they’ve been republished in a single volume from Bear Alley Books ... for the ridiculously reasonable price of £14.99. Do yourself a favour. " Christopher Fowler.

OUT OF PRINT!ArenaClick here for details and payment options"This book goes straight to the top of my large reading pile" - Graeme Neil Reid"With reality TV overload and the rise of the risque and the brutality of today’s society, this story still has a pertinent message for those of us who are willing to listen to it. In fact, I think the story is more relevant today than it was in 1979." - Colin Noble, Down the Tubes"The story is a fun read, but the star of the show is the art. Alcatena is a class act." - Hibernia Comics